Using Virtual Walls To Quarantine Oil Spills

Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered a method to create oil-repellent surfaces that can use used to aid uncontrollable oil spills.  Oil and other oily compounds are known to have a low-surface tension which allows them to easy spread from surface to surface with little additional tension force required to break the surface tension layer.   These researchers use micro/electromechanical methods to create these "virtual walls" which block spreading of low-surface tension liquids at their boundary line. However, these walls are not designed to capture the oils, but to only attempt to control the oil's pathway, making it controllable. This research will hopefully be used in the industrial application, as well as oil loading and transportation.






University of Missouri-Columbia (2013, December 4). Virtual wall could stop spread of oil and help build invisible barrier for oil spills. ScienceDaily. 

Does Chocolate Really Cause Acne?

'"Chocolate per se will not make you break out," says Dr. Shamban, lead dermatologist at Los Angeles School of Dermatology. "In fact, there is little evidence that chocolate or any specific fatty foods will cause acne, but we do know that a high-sugar/high-fat diet can increase sebum production and promote inflammatory responses in the body, which can lead to acne."'

Shamban again disproves the chocolatey myth by explaining potential benefits to the skin from the consumption of dark chocolate.  According to Shamban, dark chocolate contains high amounts of two flavonoids, catechin, and procyanidin, which are chemicals that act as antioxidants within the body. Antioxidants protect the body's cells against free radicals such as sebum production (skin oil), and other inflammatory and infecting agents. 

Perhaps this chocolate myth originated from human behavior under stress.  High stress behavior increases hormonal response and typically increases sebum production.  When under stress, most humans indulge, perhaps over-indulge in high fat foods, such as chocolate.  Perhaps we misinterpret the effects of stress for the effects of chocolate.


Reference:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/does-chocolate-cause-acne_n_1566076.html

Kepler: The Hunt For Another Earth

As Earth's population peaks above 7 billion, the search for habitable plants becomes a topic of interest.  Could the human race actually sustain on a foreign planets millions of light years away?  Using light variation detection, The Kepler space telescope has discovered over 3500 confirmed planets with 167 promising sustainable Earth-like candidates.  A habitable prerequisite: the promising candidates must be located in an area called the habitable zone, which is a specific region around the parent star, or sun.  The habitable zone is distance from the parent star where water is likely to exist.  For Earth, this zone is 1 AU (astronomical unit,  149,597,870,700 m) from our Sun.

The Kepler mission has 2 high priority planets, Kepler 62e and Kepler 62f.  Not only are these planets located in the habitable zone of their suns, but their masses, gravitational pull, and orbit periods are extremely similar to Earth's. In fact, Kepler 62e's location from its Sun allow for cloud formation.   Researchers predict 62e has natural storms, similar to hurricanes and typhoons.  Natural storms suggest wind development, indicating a stable atmosphere. 

Unfortunately, these plants are located thousands of light years away and human travel is nearly impossible with today's technology.  But the discovery of a sustainable planet will lead to questions about other lifeforms and habitats and eventually, communication with other lifeforms.  Perhaps when the need for additional resources have become to great, planetary travel will become a reality.


For more information, visit http://kepler.nasa.gov/

Electric Vehicle Reduces CO2 Emissions By A Factor Of 2

After nearly 24,000 kilometers of travel, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology can officially state that the RheinMobil electric vehicle produces half the CO2 emissions of a comparable gasoline powered vehicle. RheinMobil uses a newly developed "superbattery" that is recharged by a flywheel located on the modified braking mechanism of the vehicle.  This research as well as the new battery designs will be presented to Calty Design Research, the designer partner for Toyota Motor Corporation, in early December.

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. "24,000 kilometers driven electrically: Two tons of CO₂emissions less." ScienceDaily, 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.

Mathematical Models Help Industrial Companies Reduce Energy Consumption

Statisticians from the National University of Singapore and the University of Texas have designed a pattern-recognition algorithm that records the energy consumed by Industrial equipment.  The algorithm based framework gathers raw data from various components and identifies abnormal energy patterns.  Company engineers can use this data to analyze machine defects, and hopefully reduce the irregular energy patterns through data filtering and machine tweaking.

The model uses recorded machine energy states to organize the data.  Sensors implemented within the machines collect the energy consumption data and and feed the data to the mathematical model (the programmers call the model a "finite-state machine," or FSM). The FSM ultimately creates power consumption profiles for each individual machine.

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). "Real-time energy audit reduces power consumption." ScienceDaily, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131024114117.htm

Baby Math

Duke University. "Baby's innate number sense predicts future math skill." ScienceDaily, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131022170828.htm

Through a series of studies, researchers at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences have concluded that exposing an infant to an inborn number sense, can help predict the child's mathematical future. Inborn number senses include concepts such as large or small, tall or short, and black and white. The studies examined "48 6-month-old infants to see whether they could recognize numerical changes" (Duke University). A projected image displayed 2 quantities, one large and one small.  A child who concentrated on the larger image was said to be able to comprehend the differences in quantities, theoretically being able to achieve higher future math skills.

Three and a half years later, the same 48 children were examined again.  The infants who were able to distinguish the difference in quantities from the first experiment, were indeed ranked at a higher math level than the children who could not.  According to this research, the results of this experiment can predict how the infants will do on their ACTs and SATs.

Ingredients in Wine Could Lead to Better Biodiesels

Basque Research. "First steps towards achieving better and cheaper biodiesel." ScienceDaily, 23 Sep. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

 Acetals (a chemical compound found in wine and other fermented goods) could be a key ingredient to more efficient biodiesel.  When compared to petroleum based diesel, the acetal (organic) biodiesel has a 2% greater combustion ratio and produces less emissions due to higher engine performance.  Unfortunately, producing organic biodiesel on an industrial scale would be extremely difficult.  Organic diesel would require thousands of acres of land in order to produce "plant farms" that would be used to produce fermentation plants that contain the acetals. The current efficiency of plant material to organic acetal is only 50 - 60%.  However "using a resin as a solid catalyst instead of sulfuric acid, and glycerol and butyraldehyde or acetaldehyde as the starting point, they have obtained outputs of 100%" (Basque Research).  Outputs of 100% have only been obtained in a laboratory setting.  But, all manufacturing breakthroughs started under strenuous laboratory research.

Even though acetal based biodiesel cannot be currently produced on a mass scale, acetal research has opened a new door for future calculations and manipulations of present biodiesel.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130923101950.htm

Chimpanzees of a Feather Sit Together

University of Vienna. "Chimpanzees of a feather sit together: Friendships are based on similar personalities." ScienceDaily, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131009100225.htm

Researchers measuring the behavioral actions of chimpanzees have concluded that the animals conduct themselves similar to humans.  The social groups segregated themselves from the introverted.  The researchers relate the chimps' behavior to the known "similarity effect" in humans; "We tend to make friends with peope who are equally extroverted, friendly and bold as ourselves" (University of Vienna).  The article also makes a point that perhaps the chimps group together because they become more dependent on cooperation within their environment.  Choosing groups based off high cooperation levels is exhibited in human behavior as well.

Discovery of Charged Droplets Could Lead to More Efficient Power Plants

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2013, October 2). Discovery of charged droplets could lead to more efficient power plants. ScienceDaily. 

Researchers have discovered water repelling from hydrophobic metal surfaces have a tendency to carry an electric charge.  This electric charge is produced from the sudden release in surface energy when the water particle jumps from one surface to another.  When used correctly, the hydrophobic sheets can create a "wall of water particles" being transferred back and forth between the sheets as the electric charge of the sheets is reversed.  Condenser systems within most power plants can use this idea to create a higher rate of heat transfer from the superheated steam to the cooling water running through the condenser tubes.  The articles estimates that the hydrophobic sheets could increase the efficiency of the condenser by .02%.  .02% does not seem much on a small scale, but to a power plant that is circulating millions of gallons/day through the condenser tubes, the increase in efficiency seems attractive.


This picture shows the water particles repelling from the hydrophobic surface.














A picture of a basic Power Plant condenser.  Cooling water travels through the horizontal tubes, cooling the steam traveling vertically.

Science in the News: Carbon Dioxide Regulations for Coal-fired Power Plants

Koch, Wendy.  EPA proposes strict emission limits on new power plants.  USA Today.com

[Internet].  Sept 20,2013.  Available from:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/19/epa-limits-emissions-coal-power-plants-carbon-capture-technology/2838391/

 Koch's article examines the consequences of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new proposal to limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from new power plants, specifically coal fired units.  The EPA's proposal would implement captured carbon weight limits for existing power plants based on the megawatt capacity of the power plant. In order for most plants to meet their carbon weight limit, new emission control systems would have to be installed since most plant's technologies would be unable to meet the heightened standards.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy states, "Americans have a moral obligation to the next generation."  McCarthy is referring to the fact that our generation must preserve the environment for the future.  McCarthy bases her comment on the fact that coal-fired power plants are the largest source of carbon emissions, accounted for 37% of large industry carbon dioxide emissions.  Koch uses comments from the Obama Administration to detail the "hidden costs" of coal-fired units.  These hidden costs include global warming, excess greenhouse gases (such as sulfur dioxide), acid rain, and future health issues.

In my opinion, Koch does not capitalize on the the opposing view.  Coal-fired power plants are America's largest source of energy, contributing 24% of all energy consumed nationwide.  I often think of an analogy of a steam engine freight train and a hybrid car.  Obviously, a hybrid car produces far less carbon emissions than the dirty coal-fired train.  But a train can more efficiently transport a load 10,000 times greater than the load capability of a car.  In this analogy, the train represents the coal-fired power plants and the hybrid car represents a low emission energy source, such as wind power.  Also, Koch states that the average power plant already captures 90% of their carbon emissions. Putting a weight limit rather than a percent captured limit on power plants will severely hinder the large coal plants, which America relies so heavy upon.  Koch ends the article with a comparison quote from St. Louis Peabody Energy: "[The carbon cap limit] will cause consumers' power bills to skyrocket over time and cause more pain at the plug than Americans have experienced at the pump."

Questions:

1.  If the EPA put this proposal into effect in 2014, how would stock markets react to the decrease in power plant revenue (assuming the carbon cap would force some plants out of service)?

2.  Are Americans willing to pay higher electricity bills for increased environmental protection?

3.  If EPA decides to revoke the act, what are the future consequences of the current power plant emissions?

Science Benefits from Diverse Landing Area of NASA Mars Rover
http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=41668


NASA's "Curiosity Rover" has been revealing new information about the unknown characteristics of Mars.  First, the discovery of water molecules located in soil particles.  This finding encourages the idea that the water molecules are widely spread through the planet's soil and structures.  The rover has analyzed several samples of "windblown dust" and have noted a comparison to some volcanic deposits on Earth.  Evidence of hydrogen in the soil indicated an interaction of the soil particles and a modern atmosphere.   The soil recovered by the rover has also led to new discoveries about the planet's volcanic history as well as it's rock layers.

More information about the mission can be found at:

http://www.nasa.gov/msl

Max Kraus
9/16/13

"Growth Spurt for Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems."  Giges, Nancy S., August 2013. ASME.org

Giges's article recognizes the importance of combining multiple power sources to create a mass hybird renewable energy system. Giges focuses on remote or desolate areas where electrical grids are not available.  Her solution to this issue is to combine solar panel technology and wind turbines.  Giges discusses the long term payoff of the combined system and gives several examples of corporations that have successfully used the hybrid system.

I feel that this article discusses a topic that is generally ignored.  Most renewable energy sources are geared toward large corporations and consumers. Although, her article does not state how or who will be implementing the new hybrid technology in the desolate areas.  I appreciate the idea Giges is planting, but fail to see the practicality of the thesis.

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